INFORMED CONSENT

Our mission is to offer the most comprehensive psychotherapy services with the best-trained and most Caring counsellors. This document contains important information consent, confidentiality, and the policies of Elumind Centres For Brain Excellence related to psychotherapy sessions.

The information below is also applicable to all Telehealth’s consultations and sessions.

Counselling Practice and Philosophy

Counselling is a confidential process designed to help you address your concerns, come to a greater understanding of yourself, and learn effective personal and interpersonal coping strategies. It involves a relationship between you and a trained therapist who has the desire and willingness to help you accomplish your individual goals. Counselling involves sharing sensitive, personal, and private information.

The counselling process is one of the benefits and risks. Some of the benefits may include gaining personal insight, learning new ways to cope and overcoming/changing behaviors that are causing you difficulty or pain in your life. Your relationships with self and others often strengthen as you learn new ways to relate to self and others. Some of the risks of counselling may include evoking strong emotions or difficult memories. If at any time you have questions or concerns about the counselling process, please do not hesitate to talk to your counsellor about them.

General Notes

• You have a right to participate as much or little in the counselling process as you choose.
• You have a right to question, ask for an explanation of, or to refuse any task, exercise, assessment tool, or other intervention that your therapist suggests.
• You have a right to stop at any time. If you wish to stop working with your therapist, or if your therapist is unable to help you, your therapist has a responsibility to inform you about other practitioners and offer you an appropriate referral. You do not have to accept that referral if you do not desire.
• If you have been required by a third party to attend counselling sessions and choose not to work with your therapist, he or she has a responsibility to notify the third party that you have stopped.
• If you are also working with another counsellor, please inform your therapist. This is to help both counsellors coordinate practices, if needed, and to avoid confusion and conflict.

Confidentiality

All interactions with our counselling services, including scheduling of or attendance at appointments, the content of your sessions, progress in counselling, and your records are strictly confidential. No record of counselling is contained in any academic, educational, or job placement file. You may request in writing that your therapist release specific information about your counselling to persons you designate. Both by law and our professional standards require that we keep appropriate records. In general, the confidentially of all communication between you and the therapist is protected by law, and we can only release information about your progress to others with your written consent. However, provincial laws and professional codes of ethics limit confidentiality in the following circumstances:

• If there is evidence of clear and imminent danger of harm to self and/or others, the therapist is legally required to report this information to the authorities responsible for ensuring safety.
• If you disclose information that indicates a child [under the age of 19] or a vulnerable adult is at risk for neglect, physical or sexual abuse, the therapist is required by law to report to the Ministry for Children and Families.
• The therapist is subpoenaed as a witness in court.
• A court order, issued by a judge, may require the Counselling Services staff to release information contained in records and/or require the therapist to testify in a court hearing.

Counselling Relationship

The counselling relationship is a professional relationship. Social and business relations between the counsellor and a client are discouraged by professional codes of ethics. This applies during sessions and outside of sessions and continues after counselling ends. If you happen to cross paths in a public or social setting (outside of the office), the therapist will not approach or acknowledge you in order to protect your confidentiality.

CANCELLATION POLICY

We appreciate prompt arrival for appointments. Please notify us by call or text at (604) 220-8866 if you will be late. Minimum of 24 hour notice of cancellation is required as it allows us to use the time for others.

Please note: The full session will be charged should there be a no show or a cancellation that falls within 24 hours of the booking. INSURANCE

We do not directly process insurance, but you may decide to independently pursue reimbursement. Upon completion of sessions, we will provide you with an electronic receipt.